Diamond Daze music features familiar faces

While vendors that choke downtown Sallisaw streets might generate the most excitement during the annual Diamond Daze festival, the free entertainment isn’t far behind.

Music is a festival highlight, and Diamond Daze offers plenty of it at three locations — Stage Park at the corner of Choctaw Avenue and Oak Street, Pocket Park at the corner of Cherokee Avenue and Oak Street, and the GRDA stage on Cherokee Avenue next to the library.

Country recording artist Andy Pursell has been pegged as this year’s Diamond Daze headliner, but Sequoyah County native Drake Hyde may receive an even bigger welcome. After all, Pursell is associated with the county by marriage only — his wife Mandy McGlothlin graduated from Central, “so they’ve got a lot of family here,” says Sallisaw Chamber of Commerce executive director Marty Green — while Hyde is a local product and 2022 graduate of Sallisaw.

In addition, other regional entertainers include Mule Kick Reckoning as well as Ted Capps & Rude Mood. Also returning to Diamond Daze is the popular Cherokee Nation youth choir.

“We’ll have one Friday night, and then multiple times during the day Saturday, concluding with the headliner Saturday evening. And there’s music throughout the day as well by KXMX. When it’s quiet, there’ll be playing the mix music,” Green says of the May 3-4 festival.

Andy Pursell

Andy Pursell

Florida-based country recording artist Andy Pursell is a country boy who found a passion for music and live performance in his late teens.

Born and raised in Arcadia, Fla., the former Florida Power & Light lineman and selftaught guitarist — who embraces the sounds of Waylon Jennings, Garth Brooks, Hank Williams Jr., Mark Chesnutt and Tracy Lawrence — in 2015 formed the Andy Pursell Band, a group of veteran musicians with more than 40 combined years of live performance experience. Dedicated to giving 110% to make his dreams a reality and create memorable musical moments and experiences for his fans, Pursell has quickly become a must-see entertainer.

He was recognized as “Favorite New Country Artist” by the Tampa Bay Music Network. As a support act, Pursell has shared stages with Neal McCoy, Clay Walker, Montgomery Gentry, John Michael Montgomery and others. He’s performed at Ray Stevens CabaRay Showroom (Nashville), the Florida Strawberry Festival, Hard Rock Cafe (Tampa), the Original Cancun Cantina (Hanover, Md.), Bradenton (Fla.) Area River Regatta, and the Ultimate Bullfighters World Finals “The Bulls And Bands Bash.” Pursell is a team member and ambassador of Salt Life — he released a single titled “Livin’ In The Salt Life” in 2019. The ‘Right Amount of Wrong’ official music video premiered on Country Rebel in April 2023.

‘Last Load to Heaven,” Pursell’s tribute to a friend, is at Country Radio Now. His latest debut single, ‘I Need You Bad,” has risen to 157,000 streams on Spotify.

In addition to having extended family in Sequoyah County, “we know we’ve got people coming from Kansas, we’ve got people coming from Florida to watch him,” Green says of Pursell.

Drake Hyde

Drake Hyde

Drake Hyde’s journey to the Diamond Daze stage has been years in the making, and is actually a reunion at the annual festival.

A 2022 graduate of Sallisaw who also attended Connors State College, Green foretold of Hyde’s celebrity and has a marketing arrangement with the performer.

“He’s a good young guy,” Green says. “I told him, ‘When you get famous someday, you talk about that you sang at Diamond Daze.’

“He sang here a couple of years for us, and he’s good, kind of a George Strait kind of a kid. So he’s gonna be one of our groups that’s gonna be singing,” Green said in announcing the lineup.

Mule Kick Reckoning

Mule Kick Reckoning is a classic rock band, playing Beatles, Bad Company, Wings, INXS, The Doobie Brothers, Spin Doctors, Lynyrd Skynyrd or more.

The band plays venues throughout the region, including locally at J&D’s Cowtown and the Sallisaw Main Street ice skating rink, as well as Neumeier’s Rib Room & Beer Garden in Fort Smith, Chaffee Crossing in Fort Smith, The Deck at Cookson Village and La Hueerta Restaurant in Poteau.

Ted Capps & Rude Mood

Whether you like Stevie Ray Vaughn, Stevie Wonder, Delbert Mc-Clinton, Willie Nelson or the Black Crows, Rude Mood is sure to satisfy your musical appetite.

Ted Capps & Rude Mood

Rude Mood is a groovin’ three-piece band featuring seasoned musicians who will keep you on the dance floor. Ted Capps, lead guitar and vocal, formed the band with drummer Donny Riley in 2000.

Since forming, Rude Mood has played stages throughout Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. The band has shared the limelight with artists such as Black Oak Arkansas, Credence Clearwater Revisited, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, America, and Brewer and Shipley, and played numerous blues festivals throughout the tri-state area. The band has recently played Fort Smith venues, as well as the Cherokee Casino & Hotel in Roland.

Choctaw Nation Youth Choir

An instant success when it debuted a year ago, the Choctaw Nation youth choir returns for Saturday’s midday crowd.

“We’ve got the Cherokee Nation youth choir that’s going to be singing, which were really great when they were here last year,” Green says. “They wanted to be back here again this year, so they’re gonna be singing for us at noon Saturday at the GRDA stage. And that’s gonna be a really neat deal.

“I’m really, really excited about the choir returning for Diamond Daze. Of course the Cherokee Nation is one of our premier sponsors on this,” Green says.

Pocket Park

6:30 p.m. Friday

Ted Capps & Rude Mood

GRDA Stage

Noon Saturday

Cherokee Nation youth choir

Stage Park

1 p.m. Saturday

Mule Kick Reckoning

Stage Park

4 p.m. Saturday

Drake Hyde

Stage Park

6:30 p.m. Saturday

Andy Pursell